Thoughts on a dying hockey season and looking ahead

Well, another season has ended. In spite of a little fraying around the edges on my part, as I've stretched myself pretty thin with all my hockey pursuits, it really feels like the season just started a couple of months ago.

Perhaps that's because neither of my teams ever really got off the ground and found themselves. Always one step forward and two back for the Wild. One forward and one back for the Aeros, with the occasional three forward and three back. What a weird thing it's been to cover the team this year.

And here we are at the end, at least for the Wild, though honestly, my hopes aren't very high anymore for the Aeros getting out of the first round. Maybe I'm just taking some self-defense measures with my skepticism, but I don't think so. The Good Aeros are SO good, but so ephemeral and fleeting. The Mediocre Aeros seem to be the default.

I suppose melancholy is the word for my mood today.

Anyway, I'm looking down the road a bit at things on my mind that I want to write about. I've got lots of thoughts on Constantine as a potential replacement for Lemaire in Minnesota. I've got some post-season awards to hand out. I've got my NHL playoff picks. I've got some ideas for how to spend the long, hot, hockeyless summer. These should fill a little of the immediate post-season void.